1. Field of the Invention
The invention of the co-pending application relates to an individual row shut-down control of farm implements or machinery to eliminate overlap in irregularly spaced fields or areas of application. More particularly, the invention of the co-pending application relates to any multiple row seeding, planting, spraying, fertilizing, or the delivery of an agricultural product to the soil on a per row basis whereby any row may be shut down mechanically, electrically, electronically, hydraulically, or by any means, for the purpose of conserving product when a row passes over the top of another row from a previous pass or the projected pass at the end of a field, waterway, or any other ordinary reason for encountering double application (overlap) of product or application into areas of the field such as grass waterways, creeks or terraces where application is not desired.
The instant invention relates to individual row rate control of farm implements to electronically maintain, adjust or compensate, via an electronic control apparatus, the volume or rate of crop inputs such as the dispensing of fertilizers, chemicals or seeds across implements in irregularly shaped or contour areas. More particularly, the instant invention relates to any multiple row seeding, planting, spraying, fertilizing, or the delivery of agricultural product to the soil on a per row basis whereby any row may be controlled mechanically, electrically, electronically, hydraulically, or by any means, for the purpose of optimizing product volume inputs when the ground speed of a row unit is faster or slower than other row units due to its relative position on a wide multiple row implement when the implement is engaged in a contour or turning movement or when said types change and the need for controlling crop input rate is desirable on a per row basis for optimum yield or weed control potential.
2. Description of the Related Art
Agricultural fields are generally irregular in shape and may include obstacles such as creeks, waterways, tree lines, terraces or hillsides that pose specific challenges to machines or implements used to deliver a variety of crop input products such as seed, fertilizer, chemical or the like. As farm operations become larger, the actual field sizes remain constant. However, the need for efficient acreage coverage by fewer farmers drives the need for wider implements. Wider implements pose a problem, particularly when placed in a field requiring a contour or arced (curved) pass across the field since it is commonly known that seed spacing and supporting input volume accuracies are critical in sustaining healthy plants and maximizing yield potential.
As a wide multiple row implement traverses an arced, turning or curved path, the ground speed of the outside rows on the implement is greater than the ground speed of the inside rows. If each row unit such as a planter, seeder, fertilizer applicator, chemical application, etc., on that implement operates at the same rate, the outside rows would be applying inputs at a lesser rate per acre and the inside rows would be applying inputs at a greater rate per acre with only one row near the center of the implement that would actually be performing at the correct rate. Thus, the seed population and fertilizer or chemical application would not be uniform across the arced field pass for maximum yield potential. While it is believed that some implements are possibly capable of controlling sections or multiple rows of the implement, it is not believed that heretofore there is an implement which is capable of individual row input rate control.